Sexual favours scandal rocks South Korea football association

The Korea Football Association (KFA) has issued a public apology for a series of controversies, including serious allegations that it paid for sexual favors involving foreign referees. South Korean broadcaster JTBC reported that these services were provided on multiple occasions in 2011 and 2012, including during qualifying matches for the 2014 World Cup and the 2012 London Olympics.

A 2016 sports ministry investigation cited by JTBC found that the KFA had provided inappropriate entertainment to foreign referees on seven occasions between March 2011 and March 2012. These incidents reportedly included visits to massage parlors where the cost of sexual services was covered by the association.

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Our association, which ought to bring joy and exhilaration to football fans through the fierce pursuit of goals and the fair sportsmanship that emerges in the process, has recently lost sight of its fundamental purpose and finds itself in a truly dire situation.

The KFA's apology addressed not only these past allegations, which many current staff members were reportedly unaware of, but also the team's poor performance at the recent World Cup and other issues. The association stated that such inappropriate conduct is not currently occurring. However, the scandal deepens scrutiny on the KFA, particularly concerning the recent appointment of former national team coach Hong Myung-bo, whose offices were raided by police as part of an investigation into his hiring.

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However, we wish to clearly state that such inappropriate conduct or misuse of corporate cards is absolutely not occurring at the association at present.